Lair Love
by AceNavalPilot
Summary: A simple love story involving Irma and my OC, Robert.  A couple of sad scenes, but mostly romantic ones.  Will have a special ending!  IrmaXRobert
1. Target Practice

Robert and Irma have known each other for the past year and after Irma and the others became the Guardians, Robert decided to tag along and assist them with a little firepower, in the form of his Glock G17 9mm pistol and his AR-15 assault rifle. Just recently, Matt, Cornelia's sister Lilian, and Robert's sister Jennifer became involved.

_Robert's House_

_Heatherfield, CA_

Robert and Jennifer were in the process of teaching Lilian how to use a gun to prepare her for whatever battles they would face. "OK, so now that you know how to properly hold a gun, let's see how well you can actually shoot with one." Robert said as Lilian stared down the lane of Robert's basement shooting range, his Beretta M92F pistol in her hands.

"OK, I'm ready." she said as Robert pressed a button on the partition, causing a target to pop up. "OK, light it up!" Robert commanded as he got behind Lilian.

Lilian concentrated hard on lining up the sights with the target. She slowly squeezed the trigger.

BLAM! She nearly jumped when the shot fired, jerking the gun back. She saw the hole in the target where the bullet hit and smiled. "I hit it! I hit it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"I see, good shot! Now, go ahead and fire the rest of the bullets in that magazine." Robert instructed. "OK!" Lilian replied as she took aim and proceeded to empty the magazine into the target.

When the last bullet was fired, Lilian ejected the empty magazine just as Robert had previously instructed her to. She then flipped on the safety and placed the gun down on the platform in front of her.

Robert pressed a button on the panel and the target began moving towards them. Robert and Lilian looked in awe at the result. The group of bullet holes was nearly four inches across, and most of the holes overlapped. "Wow, you've got some skill!" Robert said.

"Yeah, well, I did learn from the best." Lilian replied.


	2. Feelings Revealed

_Meridian Plains, one week later_

Robert and the others were engaged in a battle alongside the rebels against Phobos' soldiers in an assault on the area.

Robert gunned down several soldiers as Irma used her water powers to wash another group away.

"Irma, behind you!" Robert called out as he spotted an enemy archer taking aim at Irma. Robert took him out with his AR-15 and reloaded.

"Guys, they're retreating, we won!" Caleb called out seconds later. Sure enough, the enemy soldiers were on the run.

"Wow, that was one hell of a fight!" Irma said as she and Robert grouped together with the others.

"Yeah, Robert really did a great job protecting Irma while they were out there." Hay Lin said. "Yeah, whenever Irma became a target, Robert almost became inhuman in protecting her." Taranee added.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for my best friend." Robert replied.

_It was, wasn't it?_ Robert thought. The way he protected Irma during the battle did show that he cared, but how much did he _really_ care about Irma?

_Why was I so hard-set on protecting Irma? Maybe...maybe I'm...starting to have feelings for her? Maybe I'm...falling in love with her?_ Robert thought.

He couldn't think of an answer, but knew that deep in his heart, he just might be having feelings for Irma.

Question was, would she have the same feelings for him?

_Meridian mountains, two weeks later_

Robert and the Guardians were headed to the rebel base in the Infinite City to plan their next assault. "OK, Robert, you and Taranee get Jennifer and Lilian to a safe place in case things get ugly, OK?" Will said. Irma stood up and looked at Will.

"Actually, is it OK if I go with Robert?" she asked.

"Sure, if you really want to, it's fine by me." Will replied. Robert got up to talk to Caleb regarding the plan.

"Say, you've been wanting to be paired up with Robert quite a bit lately, care to fill us in as to why?" Hay Lin asked. "Well, he is my best friend, and best friends stick together." Irma replied, a slight blush showing up on her face.

Hay Lin could tell that something was up and decided to find out what. "Come on, Irma, you don't have to hide it from me." she said.

"Hide what?" Irma asked, blushing even more. "You know what, silly, I'm talking about your crush on Robert!" Hay Lin replied.

"What? You think I have a crush on him?" Irma asked.

"I don't think, I know. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at him!" Hay Lin replied. "Well...maybe I like him a little." Irma said.

"Well, if it helps, I think that he might like you, too!" Hay Lin replied. "Really?" Irma asked. Hay Lin could see the hope in Irma's eyes.

"Yeah, every battle we've fought recently, he's always protected you as if you were the president or something, or more like a loved one!" Hay Lin replied.

Irma heard Robert calling her name and rushed to join him.

"Maybe she'll tell him one day." Hay Lin said as she joined the others.

An hour later, Phobos appeared near the group, putting them on edge. "Well, Guardians, it appears that we meet again." he said with an evil grin.

"YOU!" Robert said as he readied his rifle. "Robert, get Lilian and Jennifer to safety! We'll handle this!" Will commanded as the fight began.

"OK, but I'll be back afterwards!" Robert replied as he and Irma ran off with the girls.

The Guardians continuously dodged every magical blast that Phobos fired at them, all while trying to carry out their own offensive. One of the blasts grazed Cornelia's Guardian outfit. "Whoa, that was close!" she said as she got back into the fight.

Robert and Irma were racing to get Jennifer and Lilian to safety while the others battled Phobos in the distance.

They stopped as they approached the edge of a cliff. "OK, we should be safe here." Irma said. Suddenly, a stray burst of magic from the battle shot over and struck the ground, right by Jennifer!

The ground crumbled and Jennifer began to fall, but Robert rushed down and grabbed her hands just in time. Robert began to slowly slide closer to the edge, but Lilian managed to grab his legs just in time. Robert could hear nothing but Jennifer's terrified screams and Lilian's strained grunts as she continued struggling to keep them from falling. But the one thing he heard that brought joy to his heart was a voice, the most beautiful voice he had ever heard in his life.

"Robert!" Irma cried, "Robert, down here, look down here!" Robert looked directly down and saw, to his great delight, Irma, she was hovering just below Jennifer's dangling legs. Her blue eyes were fixed with steadfast determination, and she stared up into the blue eyes of Robert.

"I'll catch her." She said simply. "Trust me!"

Robert had never felt more trust for another person on his life than he did right now. "Jen," he said as sweetly as he could manage given the situation.

"I'm going to let go now. Irma is right below me, she's going to catch you. I need you to be strong and let Irma catch you." Jennifer had stopped screaming, but she was shaking now. She shook her head.

"Irma is the most caring, trustworthy girl I know," Robert found himself saying,

"She will catch you. I promise. This is the only way to save yourself. Lilian can't pull us both back up."

"Hey!" Lilian interjected, but Robert had won. Jennifer slowly shook her head, the fear and terror prevalent in her eyes. Robert counted down.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1…" And she let go. The scream only lasted for a split second before Jennifer landed squarely in Irma's arms. Irma immediately lifted the frightened teen up to the top of the cliff and a muffled thump told Robert that they were safe.

"Help me Irma, I can't hold on any longer!" Lilian suddenly cried out.

Before Irma could do anything, her grip in her right hand slipped, and Robert's right leg fell over the edge. Her other hand couldn't hold on for more than a second longer and it too had to let go.

Robert had never felt the sensation before. He was falling, utterly falling, and he knew there was a raging river somewhere below him. He didn't cry out, he didn't scream, he just felt the wind rushing past his ears and felt as he picked up speed, plummeting downward, farther and farther, faster and faster.

Time ticked by in slow motion as he slowly fell head-over heels. It wasn't until he tumbled so he was face-up again and looking up at the cliff's edge above him did he realize the situation. Up above him, staring downward were three people. A blonde-haired girl, a black-haired teen, and a brown-haired woman with wings and a colorful outfit. Tears were falling from the teen's eyes.

Robert realized that his little sister, the one who always looked up to him was about to watch her role model, her older brother, plummet to his death. In a rush, he knew he had to say something. His kin was up there, as was the girl of his dreams, and he had to get a message to them.

"I LOVE YOU!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping that his words would reach the two women at the top of the cliff.

Then, he closed his eyes. He closed his eyes and listened. He heard the sobs of a crying teen growing weaker and weaker, he heard the rushing, thundering roar of a river growing closer and closer.

He didn't look, but he listened as he prepared himself for death, knowing that he had saved at least one life to balance out the loss of his own. The roar of the river grew closer still, and Robert resigned himself for the high-speed hit that would surely be fatal.

Then, he heard a new noise. It barely registered over the sound of rushing water, but it was there, and it was right next to him. A whoosh, as if there was something else cutting through the air near him. Then, there was a sharp pain in Robert's chest.

He felt the wind nearly get knocked out of him as he sensed a strong force dig into his midsection and cut his downward momentum. Then, there was a precarious dance of sound as the roaring water loomed closer, but with less speed, he was slowing down.

The noise of the water got louder, but it wasn't raising in volume as fast anymore, and a new sound was there to take its place. A slight buzzing noise. It sounded like…

The rapid beating of wings. Robert's eyes shot open and he found himself staring straight down at a rushing river, mere yards from him. He craned his head up and witnessed the most beautiful display of raw power he had seen in his entire life.

A young winged woman with brown hair beat her wings furiously, arms locked around the chest of the young man.

Slowly, slowly but surely, the kinetic energy of the downward descent was overridden and the sheer power of Irma Lair, a Guardian of the Veil, lifted Robert up and out of the ravine.

For the first time he had ever seen, looking up into the face of his savior, Robert saw tears streaming from the eyes of the headstrong woman.

He locked gazes with Irma, and Irma stared back, tears flowing freely. "I… I love you too." She managed to choke out, the force of the moving air ripping tear after tear from her eyes.

The two landed at the top of the cliff. Irma set Robert down and then set down herself in front of him. Robert was silent for a moment. He was thinking again._ I meant those last words for Jen_. he thought. _She was going to be so sad… But Irma must have thought I meant her! What should I do?_

In a flash, he realized that this was exactly what he had wanted. Irma Lair was his, all he had to do was say yes.

But… but… there was still some nagging doubt… "Remember, you need to follow your heart. Follow your heart wherever you go, and you will always find happiness." Robert's mother's voice came into his head, and Robert understood. He understood everything.

"Listen," Irma began to speak, the silence becoming a little too much for her, "Robert, I… uh…"

"No, sweetheart." Robert cut in, "you don't have to say anything." And then he rushed forward.

It was now or never. Robert planted his lips on Irma's mouth. Irma was only startled for a second before she returned the kiss in full. The forest, the two siblings, everything around them began to melt away from their minds.

And for an eternal moment, two teens stood alone on the edge of a cliff, locked in loving embrace.

Robert almost found himself crying. He had come to a brush with death. He had come so close to losing everything and everyone that he knew and loved, only to have it saved in the most remarkable way. A tear ran down his face as memories of sensations from the last few minutes flooded back to him.

The helpless tumble of falling, the growing roar of a rushing river below, the twinge of pure dread and terror at the thought of loss and family, the sharp pain in his chest of hands grabbing him, the lifting sensation of a slowing fall, the adrenaline of realizing that he was safe.

Safe in the arms of a magical woman, the one girl he knew he loved and he now knew loved him back.

Irma's eyes shed tear after tear as Robert shared a perfect moment with the girl that had saved his life. The girl he loved. The kiss made everything melt away. All of their surroundings, all other emotions, Robert could only feel happiness and love as he kissed Irma.

Everything seemed right in the world and his moment of pure bliss seemed to stretch out into infinity until…

Irma broke away. Robert gazed into the deep-blue eyes of the water magical woman and saw moisture brimming there. A pink shade crossed the cheeks of the Guardian as the two stared longingly into each other's' eyes. Robert knew that that look must be reflected in his own features.

He could feel the hot rush of blood to the surface of his face, the continued stream of tears running down his cheeks. Without needing to be bidden, Irma leaned forward and rubbed her face against Robert's, his soft skin mopping up the wet tears from Irma's own face.

The heat of a compassion that Robert never even knew Irma was capable of warmed his face, and a soft, contented smile graced the feature of the tough teen. He drank in the tender affection of the loving woman and felt his mind at ease.

A voice broke the two teens from their perceived isolation. "AAAWWWWWWWWWW" Came the sound of a little girl from over to the side. Robert and Irma both turned, still in each other's' arms, to see this sudden intrusion into their private world. Both were blushing even harder than ever now.

Lilian had a look of abject happiness on her face. Jennifer just stared, surprised, barely processing what she saw. "Robert? When did…?"

She never got to finish her question. Jennifer found herself suddenly swept up in a forceful hug by Lilian. "Aren't they just so cute together?" Lilian cried out excitedly.

"You know what? They're adorable!" Jennifer joined in, finally realizing what had happened.

"Way to go big bro!"

Lilian hugged Jennifer tight, giggling with excitement, their previous trauma all but forgotten. Without a struggle, Jennifer joined in the fun, rolling around giggling with her younger friend, without a care in the world.

Irma leaned her head against Robert's neck as she watched the two girls pile on top of each other and roll around with fits of laughter in a dance commemorating the innocence and happiness of the young. She let out a contented sigh, breathing in the scent of Robert's hair as she inhaled again.

A cool, wet scent, like the air at a beach, she realized. She breathed deeply. Robert was glad he wouldn't have to explain his feelings to these girls, their joyous laughter seemed to just tell him that they understood.

_Good thing our friends will be as easy, if not easier_. He thought to himself. He thought he would have enough time to think up how to go about telling them though, time to discuss things with Irma, time to build up the necessary courage.

But fate is rarely so kind. A shrill voice broke through the air of the clearing on the cliffside.

"Lilian! I was so worried about you; you should never run off in the middle of a battle again!" Cornelia was here.

She burst from the forest, her hair looking surprisingly none the worse for wear, and immediately saw Irma and Robert, looking completely startled. Irma had her head buried in Robert's shoulder, his scent temporarily making her forget the predicament she was in.

Robert had an arm draped over the back of the water Guardian, blushes filling both of their faces.

"Guys," Corny began, "What exactly is going on here?"

Lilian decided to answer. "Oh, sis!" She cried, "It was so terrifying but so beautiful! Jennifer was almost hit by a magic blast, and she fell off, but Robert grabbed her, and I had to hold on to keep them from falling, and then Irma saved Jennifer, but then I couldn't hold on any longer so I had to let go of Robert so he fell and we were all really scared!" She paused for breath, sounding very much like Hay Lin as she ran through her story at lightning speed. "And then Irma dived down and she was going so fast, then we saw Robert fall into the fog below us and we were really scared because we thought he was going to die but then Irma swooped in after him and we saw her pull him up and lift him all the way out all be herself!" She was jabbering excitedly, but Cornelia seemed to be getting the entire story.

A twinge of excitement leapt through Irma as she realized what was coming next.

She didn't want Corny to know yet, but there was no stopping Lilian.

"And then Irma was crying and Robert said he loved her! So they landed and then they kissed! And they hugged and they kissed and it was beautiful!" Lilian finished her high speed story with a little squeal of excitement.

A very excited looking Cornelia turned towards the two lovers. "Guys, is this true?"

Irma felt the comforting arm leave her back.

She looked over at Robert, who was now stepping out in front of her, a look of bound determination spread on his face as he looked directly at the blonde before him.

"We're in love." he said simply, but with enough finality and purpose to speak volumes.

"Well...it's about time!" Irma looked up, a look of confusion apparent on her face.

"Huh? She asked, unable to stop herself, "You knew? How long did you know…?" Irma stopped before she started rambling.

"Well, I've seen the way you've been looking at each other lately, not to mention how hard-set Robert was in protecting you during the last few battles we fought! If you two are happy together, then I'm more than happy. In fact, this would make a fabulous romance novel! Oh, I just must get your whole touching story so I can send it into my favorite author for…"

Cornelia's fantasy was cut off as a new voice sang out through the clearing.

"Cornelia! Robert! Girls!" It called. Suddenly, the shrubs where the others had walked in were parted, and Will and the others walked in. Will's face turned from an expression of worry to one of joy when she saw the others before her.

Lilian, now with help from Jennifer, was now more than happy to regale everyone with her story of near-death and romance.

Before long, every one of the group of friends was up to speed on Heatherfield's newest couple.

"I just knew it!" Hay Lin began, "I knew it ever since Irma started asking to always be paired up with Robert, and then when Robert started protected her like he has been recently, I just knew it!" She bounced around in excitement.

"We've got to celebrate this! You guys are so great together!"

"You two are in love?" asked Taranee. "That's so wonderful. I'm sure you'll be very happy together." She finished.

"Yeah, I know we will." Robert replied as Irma smiled at him.


	3. Feeling Blue

_Three days later, near the castle_

Robert and the gang were about to seize the castle along with the rebels. Robert had his Barrett M82 .50-caliber sniper rifle with him, which was fitted with a state-of-the-art scope.

The plan was for the Guardians to get Robert to a suitable spot from which he can snipe Phobos and Cedric before the rebels take the castle and allow Elyon to take her rightful place as ruler of Meridian.

"There, that ridge is perfect for taking a long-range shot!" Irma said as they approached a ridge that had an excellent view of the castle. Robert went prone and set up his rifle near the edge. Looking through his scope, Robert could see the throne room clearly, and Phobos within.

"Just relax and focus, you can do it." Irma said. "I know, your presence give me the strength I need to pull off this shot!" Robert replied as he adjusted his rifle.

He began taking slower, shallower breaths as he placed the cross-hairs over the top of Phobos' head.

"OK, I have his range, adjusting for bullet drop...taking the shot!" Robert said as he exhaled and squeezed the trigger.

_BOOM! _A thunderous noise echoed throughout the area as the rifle fired. The bullet traveled through the air and reached its target in just over a second. Phobos' head flew to pieces when the bullet made impact, his corpse falling off of the throne and to the floor.

"YES! Got him!" Robert exclaimed. He adjusted his sights as he spotted Cedric entering the room.

Once Cedric changed into his serpent form, he became a larger, easier target for Robert. "Goodbye, scumbag!" Robert exclaimed as he fired the second shot.

The bullet struck Cedric right above his left ear, went through his brain and out the other side, just below his other ear. Robert watched with pride and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as Cedric fell to the floor, dead.

"Targets neutralized!" Robert said as he got up and grabbed his rifle, slinging it onto his back and grabbing his AR-15.

"Way to go, babe!" Irma exclaimed as she kissed him. They joined the others and together, they helped the rebels secure the castle and that afternoon, Elyon officially became the new queen of Meridian.

The voices of all her best friends swam through Irma's head as the memory faded. Everyone congratulating her and Robert. Everyone saying how wonderful it was. Everyone wishing them happiness. Irma's mind lingered on that day, that wonderful, magical day from many months ago.

On that day, everything had seemed so perfect, everything had made Irma happy, she had felt loved, and needed, and content. Everything in the world was as it should have been on that day when she and Robert had embarked on a memorable journey of discovery, adventure and love those many months ago.

'Not like today, not like now." She thought to herself as she silently watched the coffin being lowered into the gaping hole that stood before her. That hole was a black mouth, swallowing all the happiness and joy Irma had gained over the past few months and replacing it with a soul-chilling depression.

The voices that she had heard over those months continued to flow through her head. The voices of her friends, her family, and one voice in particular.

One voice that kept recurring and repeating in her head. One voice that she longed to hear, but as she watched the coffin slip into the black void, she knew she would never hear it again, at least not outside of her mind. As the lid of the coffin, a cross carved into its top, sank down into the inky blackness, that voice filled her head again.

"Remember, you need to follow your heart. Follow your heart to the ends of the earth, and you will always find happiness." And Irma was overcome with grief.

Irma looked around to all of her friends, her remaining family, everyone gathered to mourn with her. All of their mixed relatives had descended on Heatherfield for the funeral. The audience of family members surrounded her, most crying, some trying to keep a brave face, but all touched by the loss of their favorite member.

Right out in front, directly to Irma's left, her brother Chris sobbed into the ground, unwilling to look up at the new gravestone or the black maw in front of it. Tom stood over him, barely fighting back tears himself.

Lilian, calm and collected, oddly enough considering her emotional state, stood next to them, whispering comforting words and thoughts to Chris as she gently rubbed his back with her hand.

Beyond her, Taranee, Will, and even Cornelia all bowed their heads in respect. Even with tears dripping down her cheeks and nose, Irma couldn't help but feel grateful to her friends for their support.

She tried to sniff back tears, but to no avail. This woman, always a source of comfort, a source of advice, a source of help, a source of reason, was gone. Gone forever from the life of Irma, Chris and Tom, and her passing left a hole that Irma felt she might never refill.

She looked to her right. There standing next to her, a breeze stirring his short brown hair, an expression of steadfast determination on his face as he stared forward, stood Robert. He was composed, calm, quiet, and strong. He faced forward with a strength that came from a desire to not show emotion, but it was powerful. Irma needed that strength, needed that persistence, needed someone to be her rock in such times of loss. Robert was her rock.

Without another thought, Irma leaned over and buried her face in Robert's shoulder. She inhaled deeply, and just as it had so long ago, the cool, wet scent of a beautiful ocean filled her mind. She felt Robert's neck vibrate ever so gently, as he nuzzled his girlfriend with all the compassion and strength of a man who was unendingly loyal to those he loved.

Irma felt supported by the strength of Robert, she felt safe. With her face sheathed and protected by his shoulder, Irma continued to cry. Robert didn't flinch at the tears soaking his shirt and neck, Irma needed him now, she needed him to be strong, she needed him to be there.

Robert draped one arm over Irma's back and held her close, gently rubbing her back, letting his strength and comfort support the teen who had lost so much, and was only now letting her emotions go, letting her loss overcome her in a grand display of a release of pent-up emotion and feelings.

Robert would be there for Irma, keeping her close, to keep her from getting lost.

Robert woke up in his bed the next day. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he made his way into the master bathroom, about to get ready for the day. He started waking up earlier in the mornings, so he could take care of his usual business and have more time for Irma.

'And now,' Robert thought soberly as he made his way downstairs, 'I'll need to be spending more time with her than ever.' The funeral had only been yesterday, and even then, Anna had only passed away a week before that.

"Killed instantly in a major car accident." Irma had been told. Irma had been excruciatingly upset ever since then, so much so that it very nearly tore down the brave facade that Robert kept up around everyone else to see his girlfriend in so much pain and distress.

Robert had been checking up on her every day, offering comforting words, a hand to hold her, and all he could offer. It was the least he could do, but it didn't seem to be having the desired effect. Irma was still miserable.

This time, a week later, when he went into her house to check on her, she was gone.

He figured that she was at Cornelia's house, so he got into his truck and headed off to find her.

He started making his way to Cornelia's neighborhood. As he slowly made his way down the first street, he heard a familiar voice that caused him to slam on the brakes and stop the truck. Robert looked and saw Cornelia and Elyon rushing towards him, looks of distress on their faces.

"Cornelia! Elyon, what is it? What's wrong?" Robert asked. "It's Irma, she's not acting like her usual self!" Elyon replied.

"How so?" Robert asked. "She locked herself in her bedroom last night and hasn't come out all day!" Cornelia replied.

"Her father tried to reason with her but with no success, so he told us to find you and have you talk some sense into her." Elyon said.

Robert realized that this could be the best shot he ever had at helping Irma cope with her loss, and decided to take it. "Hop in, we'll all talk to her." Robert replied. Cornelia got into the passenger seat while Elyon got into the back seat.

Robert drove off and raced towards Irma's house. When they got there, Robert and the girls got out and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Chris opened the door.

"Robert! I'm so glad you're here, my sister's lost her mind! She's been crying in her room non-stop all day!" Chris said as he led the three inside.

"I heard, that's why I'm here, so I can talk to her and try to calm her down." Robert replied as the group went upstairs to Irma's bedroom.

Meanwhile, Irma was lying down on her bed, looking at a picture of her and her family. She had locked herself in her room and had not come out all day, grief and sadness blocking out all other emotions unlike ever before. She set the picture down, buried her face in her pillow and cried some more.

A pair of knocks on her door caused Irma to bolt upright and swing her head around.

"Irma? It's me, I need to talk to you." Robert said from behind the door in a compassionate tone. Irma sniffed back some more tears, relieved to hear his calming voice. "O...OK, come in." Irma said after she unlocked the bedroom door. Robert opened the door and came into the room.

He sat down on the bed next to Irma and wrapped his arm around her, letting his presence sooth her.

"I...I can't believe it, after everything that's happened, I still can't believe she's gone!" Irma said as she barely managed to hold back a sob.

"I know, sweetheart, but I heard that you've been locking yourself up in here alone, and everyone's worried about you, especially me; when Cornelia came up and told me about this, I seriously expected the worst, that you had gone into an irrecoverable breakdown, so I came to talk to you and help you. I mean, you shouldn't lock yourself away from everyone else because of this, it's not healthy. Keeping to yourself and keeping all of your feelings bottled up won't solve a thing. In fact, it will only make things worse." Robert said as he gently stroked Irma's back.

"But...I...I'm just so scared, Robert. What if...what if I lose my friends, too? What if I lose _you_?" Irma asked.

Robert continued to be soothing, understanding and compassionate. "You don't need to be scared, Irma, I'm here for you, your family is here for you, our friends are here for you, even my family is here for you. This isn't something that you have to face alone. Just remember that you couldn't have stopped it. All you can do is accept it and move on. I know it's hard, but your mother would have wanted you to. She wouldn't want you to be like this. And I'm still young, our friends are still young, your brother is still young. Our time isn't close to coming yet, we're going to be here with you for a long time, Irma, and I won't let you torture yourself out of the irrational fear of our loss" Robert said.

Irma knew the truth in Robert's words. In one motion, she threw herself into Robert's arms and hugged him tight, sobbing loudly and soaking his shoulder with her tears. Robert held her tight, stroking her hair and back, consoling her.

"I...I was just so scared, after the accident, I was just so scared that you or any one of our friends were next." Irma said.

"Irma, you're feeling so bad right now because you never let these emotions go. You just let them build up inside of you and now they're all forcing their way out. I want you to let them all out now. I'm here for you, I will make you feel better. Trust me." Robert said in the softest, most soothing voice that he ever thought could possibly come from his own mouth.

Irma did, continuing to cry on Robert's shoulder for what seemed like hours, letting her pent-up emotions spill out from her body, only to be mopped up by the compassion of the man she cared about most.

Outside the room, Cornelia smiled and wiped away her own tears as she listened to the events occurring just a few feet away on the other side of that door. She knew that Robert had helped Irma realize that all was not lost, helped prevent her from spiraling into an unrecoverable depression.

When her last tears finally dried up, Irma knew that she was done. She stared into the blue eyes of the man she loved, the toughest man she had ever known, who could take on the burden of a tortured soul and bring it out of the dark. She stared into his eyes, and found only love staring back.

Then, Robert leaned forward and kissed her. Irma kissed him back, and with their lips pressed together, everything seemed to brighten. Irma felt her fear, her anxiety, her uncertainty, and the last remnants of all the emotions she had recently harbored begin to bubble away.

Then, in an unexpected move, Robert slipped his tongue into Irma's mouth. All of the remains of the feelings she had dealt with recently faded away in an instant.

Robert held her there for a good long time, letting the bliss of the moment replace all of Irma's pain. After a timeless moment, he pulled away, letting his tongue slide along Irma's own as he elicited a small shudder from his girlfriend. Returning her gaze and seeing desire and longing replace all of the pain and fear in those beautiful blue eyes was the most rewarding sight Robert had ever seen. They then shared their first time together, united as one.

Robert lay on his back and sighed in an expression of pure love when Irma crawled over and snuggled up right next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. They lay there for some time, letting their heart rates slow down and their breathing get back to normal. They lay without speaking for longer than either cared to count, bonds building between them as they communicated without words.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Robert spoke first.

"You see, Irma? I love you, more than anyone else I've ever loved before, even my own family, and you know what, there are other people who also love you, Irma. Your father loves you, your brother loves you, Will, Taranee, Hay Lin, Elyon and Alchemy all love you, even Cornelia loves you, even though you two sometimes don't get along too well. My point is, there are so many people who love you and none of us can stand to see you tear yourself apart over your loss. Now don't get me wrong, it's OK to be sad, but let us be there for you, let me be there for you. We all want what's best for you, Irma, we all want to help, and we all love you." Robert said.

"I know, dear, I love you too!" Irma replied only happiness flowed in her voice. With that, the two lovers shared one last kiss and felt themselves being pulled into the comforting grip of sleep.

Inside Irma, the hole that had recently begun forming in her heart started to reseal itself, thanks to the undying love of the now-sleeping man whose arms were wrapped around her in a loving embrace.


	4. Fun Date part 1

_Three weeks later_

_San Diego, CA_

Robert and Irma got had just arrived in town via a Greyhound bus and proceeded to the 12th and Imperial trolley station. Robert was taking Irma to San Diego for a two-day trip. Today, Robert was taking her to Sea World.

They each bought a three-day transit pass and boarded the next Blue Line train to Old Town. Once at Old Town, the couple boarded the Route 9 bus to Sea World.

"I'm so excited for this, I've been wanting to go to Sea World since I was little!" Irma said.

"Well, I figured that you would enjoy this." Robert replied. After a twenty-five minute ride, they got off the bus near the Sea World front gate at around 10:30 AM. "Well, here we are, let's go!" Robert said as he led her to the gate. They each bought their admission ticket and Robert grabbed a park map as they entered the park.

They took an immediate left turn towards the Shamu Stadium. Robert led Irma to the underwater viewing area, where Shamu and his friend were swimming around, passing just a few inches from the glass.

"Wow, those killer whales are amazing!" Irma said as they approached the glass. "Hey, let's take a picture in front of the glass." Robert said as he set up his camera. "OK!" Irma gladly replied as she and Robert posed in front of the glass. Robert had set the timer and pressed the shutter button before posing with Irma. He quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder as Irma took his hand in hers.

The camera beeped as it took the picture. Robert took the camera and viewed the picture on the display. Robert and Irma were amazed by the result, behind the glass behind them, Shamu ended up swimming up behind them, and into the frame. As a result, Robert and Irma ended up getting a great picture of them and Shamu all at once! "Wow, that one's a keeper!" Irma said.

After admiring the orcas for five minutes, the couple moved on, heading for the nearby sea otter exhibit at Rock Point Preserve. "Wow, he's so cute when he's floating up there like that!" Irma cooed when she saw one of the California sea otters floating on his back on the water's surface. They took pictures and moved on to see the dolphins. Robert had signed them up for the dolphin interaction program.

"So, this interaction program you signed us up for, does that mean that we can actually get _into_ the water with the dolphins?" Irma asked.

"Yep, it's a great way to see them up close and personal!" Robert replied. "AWESOME!" Irma exclaimed as she squeezed Robert in a bear hug.

"I've always wanted to swim with dolphins!" she said after she released her grip. They met up with the trainer and were led to the area in which they changed into some wetsuits. After they changed out, they were led, one by one, into the water.

Robert went in first, and got to swim with, touch and even feed one of the dolphins. After Robert got out fifteen minutes later, Irma went in next. Before Irma got out at around 11:30 PM, she gave the dolphin a quick, gentle hug. The dolphin opened his mouth and made some clicking noises, as if he was saying goodbye!

"Wow, that was an incredible experience!" Robert said after they changed back to their original clothes and continued on towards the Sky Tower ride.

"Yeah, that dolphin was so nice, I'm glad to have been able to swim with him! I had always dreamed of swimming with them!" Irma replied.

"Yeah I figured you would enjoy the experience, hence why I signed us up for it." Robert replied. He had enjoyed the experience as well.

Once they got to the Sky Tower ride, they got in line, and after a fifteen minute wait, they got on the tower pod's upper level. After the doors were shut, the pod began to slowly rotate and rise. "Wow, how high is this thing?" Irma asked.

"It's about 250 feet high, and it gives an incredible view!" Robert replied as he and Irma got out their cameras. As the pod rose, a narration began to play over the interior speakers.

Once the pod reached the top, the couple began snapping pictures of all points of interest, including Mission Beach, the deep blue Pacific Ocean, and even the downtown skyline. After a minute, the pod began its descent back to the ground. Once the pod stopped moving the occupants got off and Robert and Irma began heading towards Shipwreck Rapids.

"Wow, that was such a beautiful view!" Irma exclaimed. "Yeah, but any view is better when I enjoy it with my beautiful Irmy!" Robert replied.

The two blushed as Robert and Irma chuckled. "Oh, stop it!" Irma replied with a giggle. Robert blushed, he always thought that Irma's laugh was cute. When they reached the Shipwreck Rapids ride entrance they encountered a somewhat long line. Robert bought them each a waterproof poncho for them to wear on the ride.

After a half-hour wait, the two boarded a raft with another group. The group held on as the raft entered the first set of rapids. Water splashed into the raft as it bounced slightly in the water. The raft also began to spin as it careened down the rapids.

The girls in the group, including Irma, screamed as they spun, got splashed and went fast, all at the same time.

The raft slowed down slightly as it passed through the shipwreck, but entered another set of rapids seconds later. Irma and one of the other girls, a blonde in her early twenties, yelped when they got soaked by a waterfall that they passed through, just before the raft entered a dark cave. The raft continued to spin and splash its occupants as it bounced through the rapids.

Once they exited the cave, the raft bumped in to another raft in front of it. In front of that raft was another pair. One-by one, the rafts ended up on a conveyer belt that lifted them up to the rotating exit platform. "Wow, what a thrill!" Robert exclaimed.

Irma and the other woman were slightly unhappy about being soaked by the waterfall, but realized that everyone was soaked to an extent and decided not to say anything about it. Robert the woman's boyfriend snickered and barely contained a full-on laugh when they saw Irma and the woman, who introduced herself as Megan, attempting to wring out their dripping wet hair.

Luckily for them, there was a set of large dryers located near the exit on the main path. They each spent five minutes in the dryers, Irma and Megan spending ten minutes each, getting as dry as possible.

They talked for a few minutes and Irma and Megan exchanged phone numbers. The groups said goodbye and went their separate ways as Robert and Irma made their way to the Bayside Skyride.

They got in line and after a ten minute wait, got into the next gondola. They were once again treated to a nice bird's-eye view of the surrounding area both ways as the ride went on.

After they got off, the group proceeded to the Manta ride. They got in line and soon got into the train. After a thrilling two minute ride, they got off and proceeded to the freshwater aquarium.

Irma looked in awe at the various fish and other animals in the various tanks, from electric eels and poison dart frogs, to four-eyed fish and piranhas. They took pictures of each tank's occupants.

From there, they went to Pacific Point, where the seals and sea lions were located. "Wow, they're so awesome!" Irma said as she and Robert took pictures of the seals and sea lions.

Robert and Irma then decided to take a chance to feed them with little tubs of fish. The only real problem with it was the seagulls that were harassing them because of the fish.

"Hey! Get outta here, you feathered rats!" Irma exclaimed as she tried tossing the fish one at a time into the sea lion enclosure, while two seagulls swooped in and missed. They all managed to get the fish in, but lost two to the hungry birds.

From there, they went towards Turtle Reef and the Shark Encounter area. Irma's eyes lit up when she spotted the Riptide Rescue ride nearby.

"Hey, I'm gonna go try that ride out!" Irma said as she ran towards the entrance line. "Hey, wait up!" Robert called out as he raced to catch up with her. Robert and Irma got on after a short wait. "Here we go!" Robert said as the ride started.

"Whoa, this is kinda wild!" Irma said as the ride started spinning faster. "OOOOOOOOOOOOH MYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHH!" Irma exclaimed as the ride reached its highest spinning speed. The other passengers screamed as they held on to their lap bars.

Robert and Irma were clearly having a fun time on the ride. "WOOOOHOOOOOO!" Robert exclaimed as Irma clung to him. After another minute, the ride began to slow down and eventually came to a stop. Robert and Irma, along with all the other passengers, stumbled off, their bodies still full of adrenaline.

"Wow...that was so much fun!" Robert said. "Wow, I'm...so...dizzy...right now!" Irma said as she stumbled towards a nearby bench, the adrenaline still running through her body as she struggled to find her balance in her still-disoriented state.

"Golly, that ride sure did a number on her." Megan said as she spotted Irma, who was still getting over her dizzy state. "Huh? Oh, hey, Megan, good to see you again!" Irma said as she sat down, her body finally getting over its dizzy condition.

After talking for a few minutes, the couple proceeded to Turtle Reef and walked inside. By the time they got inside, Irma's dizziness had worn off and she could see clearly again.

They took out their cameras and began taking pictures of the different sea turtles in the tanks around them. After they exited Turtle Reef, they proceeded to the Shark Encounter area.

They saw the many kinds of sharks and other animals in the shallow tanks around them, including stingrays and hammerhead sharks. "Aww, they're kinda cute!" Irma said as she looked at a tank of baby leopard sharks.

They continued on, walking down a spiraling pathway to the shark tunnel below them. Irma was fascinated by the fact that they were now surrounded by sharks below, around and even _above_ them as they stood on the moving pathway.

"Whoa, those guys look rather fierce!" Irma said as she watched a pair of tiger sharks pass over, their razor-sharp teeth showing in their jaws.

After they exited the shark tunnel, the couple moved on to the Penguin Encounter area, on the eastern end of the park.

They went in and ended up on a moving walkway that slowly moved people from one end of the penguin viewing area to the other. The group quickly took whatever pictures of the various penguin species they could before they reached the other end.

"Well, what's left?" Irma asked. Robert checked his watch, which read 2:48PM.

"Well, all that's left is the Wild Arctic ride and the Journey to Atlantis ride, and that's about it." Robert replied. "OK, let's go!" Irma said as they proceeded. When they got to the Wild Arctic area, they got in line for the helicopter simulator ride.

After a half-hour wait, they proceeded into the boarding area, in which they ended up standing on the first row of lighted dots on the floor. Once they were inside, they watched a video briefing of the flight. "I know you're gonna love this!" Irma said.

"Yeah...I know you will have fun, too." Robert replied. After the video was finished, the cabin doors opened and the passengers all proceeded inside.

"Come on, Irma! Get to da choppa!" Robert joked as they made their way into the cabin. Irma barely kept herself from laughing hysterically. Once the group all took their seats, they fastened their seat-belts and prepared for the ride.

"Get ready!" Robert said as the cabin doors closed and the lights began to dim. The ride began with the helicopter lifting off from the base and flying over the Arctic wilderness.

"Whoa, here we go!" Irma said as the cabin began moving. The helicopter flew over a herd of caribou before proceeding to investigate some polar bear activity. The helicopter's rotors were set to whisper mode so that they could get close without disturbing the bears.

"Aww!" Irma said when she saw the cubs with their mother. The helicopter flew off and passed over a glacier before activating its snorkel mode and entering the water, right behind a pod of narwhals.

"Wow, this is one heck of a chopper!" Megan, who was sitting behind the couple, said. The helicopter got back into the air and the computer indicated a storm warning. At the same time, a warning light came on in the cockpit, and the pilot brought the aircraft to a safe landing on an ice shelf to investigate it.

Unfortunately, the ice couldn't hold the helicopter's weight and began to crumble.

"Whoa, Nelly!" Megan exclaimed as the helicopter fell with the ice. "Aaah! I can't watch!" Irma said as she threw her hands over her face to cover her eyes.

Luckily, the pilot managed to get the engines started again and pulled up out of the fall just in time! The storm had just arrived at this point, and the pilot was forced to take an alternate route to go around the storm. At this point, the computer overheated and failed.

"Oh, dear, this is not good!" Irma exclaimed. "Don't worry, we'll get through this as long as we're together!" Robert replied.

The people next to them rolled their eyes. Megan chuckled after hearing this. Wow, she's really getting into this! Robert thought. The pilot dropped the helicopter into a chasm to avoid high winds, and ended up flying through an avalanche! After punching through a thin ice wall, they were finally clear of any dangers! As if things couldn't get any better, they had also arrived at their destination: Base Station Wild Arctic!

"Is...is it over?" Irma asked. "Yep, it's over." Robert replied. Irma and Megan breathed sighs of relief as the helicopter landed in the hangar.

Seconds later, the lights came back on and the cabin doors on the right side opened. The passengers all unfastened their seat-belts and exited the cabin. "Wow, that was fun!" Irma said. "I know, it seemed so real!" Megan added.

"That's the beauty of modern simulation technology!" Robert replied. They ended up in the beluga whale and polar bear exhibit. "Wow, it's so beautiful!" Irma said as she saw a beluga swimming just under the surface. They walked on and noticed a replica of a ship that was trapped in the arctic ice. They continued on towards the underwater viewing area. As they went through the passageway, it got very cold fast!

"Brrrrrr, why issss itttt sssssso ccccccold?" Megan asked. "That's why." Robert replied, pointing to a wall that appeared to be covered in ice. "Feel it!" Robert said. The girls did, and were astonished to realize that the wall was in fact covered by real ice! "Wow, that, that's real ice! No wonder it's so cold in here!" Irma said. "Yep, it's all real arctic ice!" Robert replied.

In the underwater viewing area, they first saw a polar bear trying to get to a school of fish that were swimming just below the surface. The girls chuckled as they watch the bear slowly float up to the surface. They then went to see the beluga whales, which were now swimming up close to the glass.

"Wow, they are beautiful!" Megan said as she took a picture. They remained there until they had taken enough pictures. They then moved on through the gift shop and Megan separated from them again while the couple moved on to the last attraction: the Journey to Atlantis ride.

"OK, now all that's left is the Journey to Atlantis coaster." Robert said as he led Irma towards the ride. They got in line and faced a fifteen minute wait. "Better break the ponchos back out!" Irma said after seeing how wet the ride seemed. "Yeah, good idea!" Robert replied as they got their ponchos out and put them on. They got on and got ready for the thrills.

The boat left the platform and went up onto the lift hill. "This is gonna be fun!" Irma said as the boat reached the top and went over the first curve. "Hang on, sweetheart!" Robert warned as the boat began to go over the first drop. Irma screamed as the boat splashed down in the water at the bottom of the drop, drenching the riders.

The boat continued down the watery track and through a tunnel which contained a second lift hill. The boat reached the top and stopped briefly for a minute before an elevator lifted the boat to the top, just a few feet from the second drop. Irma screamed at the top of her lungs as she hung on to Robert for dear life.

The track curved back up and was level for a few feet before it dropped off again. The boat ended up in another splash zone and for the second time, the riders got wet. "Please tell me it's over!" Irma said as the boat reached the exit platform.

"Yep, it's over!" Robert replied as the boat came to a stop and the restraints opened up. Irma was still clinging to Robert until the boat stopped. They looked at each other and blushed heavily before Irma released her grip. "Wow, that was quite a ride!" Irma said.

"Yeah, it was fun!" Robert replied. The couple got off and headed for the exit.

"Well, now what?" Irma asked after they went through the exit and started walking towards the bus stop. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm starving!" Robert replied. At that point, it was 3:39PM, and the two were hungry. They ended up going to the Fashion Valley mall via the Green Line trolley upon reaching Old Town. They ended up getting dinner at the food court, and explored the mall some more before heading back to the hotel. "Wow, today was quite the day." Robert said as he and Irma settled into their bed.

"Yeah, it was." Irma replied. "I have to admit, that was the wettest I've ever gotten in a while!" Irma added. "Heh heh, yeah, we did get pretty wet today." Robert replied. "Yeah, but it was worth it!" Irma replied as Robert gave her a goodnight kiss before she drifted off into sleep. _This is the life!_ Robert thought as he fell asleep.


	5. Fun Date, part 2

_The next day, October 2, 2014, 6:00 AM_

Robert and Irma woke up with a start and jumped out of their bed when the alarm clock started going off.

There was a good reason for it: they were going to the Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar. "This is gonna be so awesome!" Robert said.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to see the Blue Angels!" Irma replied. They quickly slathered on some sunblock and gathered everything they would need for their air show experience.

After a quick breakfast, the two were on the bus headed for Miramar Road. Once they got off, they still had a ways to go, but, after seeing the _huge_ back-up of traffic, they were quickly glad that they decided to walk from the bus stop. "Well, looks like we're walking from here." Irma said.

"Yeah, well, at least we'll be avoiding all this traffic." Robert replied. It was 7:56 when they got close to the Red gate.

There was quite a line when they got to the gate, but they did get in at 8:25. They were amazed by the sight of the various aircraft on display.

"Well, shall we find us a spot?" Robert asked. "Yeah, let's find one, quick while we can." Irma replied.

They found a suitable spot by the eastern end of the grandstands, and set up the blanket they brought with them for this purpose. After their spot was set up, they went off to check out the static displays.

The first aircraft they checked out was the C-130J Super Hercules. "Wow, this is cool!" Irma said as she and Robert were checking out the cargo bay.

After taking a few pictures, the couple checked out the KC-135R Stratotanker. "Damn, I wonder how many aircraft this thing can refuel in one sortie!" Irma said.

"Who knows? It depends on the type of aircraft." Robert replied.

At 8:50, the couple made their way back to their spot for the start of the show. Once they got settled in, the "Shockwave" jet truck was about to start its run. Irma and Robert had their cameras poised, ready to film the event.

The jet truck's engines ignited with a loud roar, creating a large plume of smoke as the truck began to race down the runway, flames shooting out of the smokestacks. "WHOA!" Irma exclaimed as she watched the action.

The truck reached 319 MPH before drag chutes deployed to slow the truck down near the other end of the runway. "That was sick!" Robert said.

"I know, I've never seen anything like that!" Irma replied.

After the jet truck event was the special effects hang glider flight, the Silver Wings wing walking show, the fly-by of several WWII war-birds, including a B-25 Mitchell bomber, a Navy Trainers parade, a T-33 Shooting Star demo and a mock dogfight between a F8-F Bearcat and an A6M Zero.

At 11:00 was a flight by the Horsemen team in two F8-Fs, a spectacular sailplane demo and a flight of the AT-6 Texan "Wardog". At 11:30, the Red Bull helo demo began.

Robert and Irma were astonished by the maneuvers that the Eurocopter BO 105 CBS was performing.

At 12:15 PM, the Army's Golden Knights parachute team performed their show. Irma was mesmerized by the trails of pink smoke that were streaming from each parachutist.

At 12:30, the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demo began with all of the aircraft involved taking off, including C-130Js, KC-130s, F/A-18Cs, CH-53Es, CH-46Es, AV-8Bs .

The show started with a KC-130 tanker refueling a pair of CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, followed by another KC-130 refueling a pair of F/A-18 Hornets and a pair of AV-8B Harriers as they flew by the crowd.

After that, a flight of UH-1Y Venom helicopters loaded with infantry came in and and hovered over a pre-established LZ as the soldiers roped to the ground from the chopper.

During this event, Five Finger Death Punch's "Bad Company" was blasting over the loudspeakers, a song that Robert and Irma enjoyed, and thought suited the current event in progress.

They watched in awe as the show progressed, including high-speed reconnaissance runs by F-18s, and airstrikes by F-18s and Harriers, and even naval artillery barrages.

Two Super Stallions then came in and landed to drop reinforcements as another UH-1Y flew in and deployed a SPIE rig to extract the friendly infantry squad. "Wow, they really do that?" Irma asked.

"Yep, it's good for getting our guys out of a hot zone in a hurry!" Robert replied.

Just then, an F/A-18D carried out an airstrike against "enemy" positions, followed by a pair of F/A-18C Hornets. As "Crazy Train" began blaring over the loudspeakers,the UH-1Y then lifted off, the troops dangling below on the SPIE rig.

As the Venom flew away, a pair of Harriers flew in and carried out airstrikes on enemy positions, followed by a pair of AH-1Z Viper gunships carrying out strafing runs with their M197 tri-barreled 20mm rotary cannon.

A pair of MV-22 Ospreys flew over as another pair of AH-1Zs carried out their strafing runs. The Ospreys came in and landed to deploy their loads of infantry as a trio of CH-46E Sea Knights, or "Shrubs" flew in to deploy their own troops as the Viper gunships stood by.

A pair of F/A-18C carried out an airstrike against enemy positions to support the landing.

As the Sea Knights and Ospreys dusted off, the gunships moved in to support the infantry, the UH-1Y circling above. A Super Stallion flew by with a Humvee slung underneath the fuselage. Once the Humvee was on the ground, the sling rig was released, and the Super Stallion flew away.

A pair of Harriers flew over head carrying out airstrikes as a group of LAV (Light Armored Vehicles) and a pair of M1A2 Abrams tanks rolled in to support the Marine infantry, a group of Humvees behind them.

A pair of F/A-18Cs then flew in, carrying out a massive carpet-bombing-style airstrike, followed by a pair of Harriers, and finally, a single F/A-18D carrying out BDA (Battle Damage Assessment).

The Abrams tanks, Humvees and LAV-25s rolled in for a pass just a few feet from the front of the crowd, which began applauding loudly as the vehicles passed by. The various aircraft involved carried out one last fly-by before landing, marking the end of the demo.

"Wow, that was freakin' AWESOME!" Irma exclaimed. "I know, that was some great action! Imagine if that firepower had been used against Phobos!" Robert replied. They had taken lots of video footage of the event.

Next was the F-16 demo, followed by a demo of the USAF's latest fighter: the F-22 Raptor, ending with the Heritage flight with a P-51D Mustang flying side-by-side in formation with the F-16 and F-22.

After that was the Oracle Challenger flight, followed by the flight of Robert's favorite aircraft, the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, AKA "Superbug" and "Rhino".

The F/A-18F demo ended with the Legacy flight with the F/A-18F flying side-by-side in formation with an F8-F Bearcat. Next, at 2:30 PM, was the AV-8B Harrier demo.

In between each performance, they got up to check out the static displays, from the F/A-18F Super Hornet, and the B-52H Stratofortress bomber, to the C-5C Galaxy and the MV-22 Osprey.

"Now, the best of the best, a fitting way to end the show: the Blue Angels!" Robert said as the six famous F/A-18C Hornets started up their F404-400 turbofan engines. The team's C-130, nicknamed "Fat Albert" took off and began a series of spectacular high-speed passes.

After Fat Albert landed, four of the Hornets lined up on the runway and began roaring down the runway.

Robert and Irma watched in awe as the Hornets carried out their daring series of maneuvers that display the pilots' incredible skills and remarkable precision. After a minute, the other two Hornets took off and joined in.

The couple had their cameras rolling as they recorded the incredible routine.

After nearly an hour, the performance was over, leaving the audience, including Irma and Robert, stunned in awe. The end of the Blue Angels performance marked the end of the air show.

Robert and Irma packed up their belongings and began making their way back to the center of town.

"So, where do you wanna eat tonight?" Robert asked. "Well, I'm kinda in the mood for Italian tonight." Irma replied.

"I know just the place." Robert replied with a smile. After two hours, they ended up at the Olive Garden.

They were seated in a booth after a fifteen minute wait. "Wow, this is a really nice-looking place." Irma said.

"Yeah, this is my favorite place to go when I got out for dinner, or sometimes lunch." Robert replied. They both ordered spaghetti marinara with minestrone soup. Irma and Robert each reached for a breadstick and began munching away.

"Wow, these are awesome!" Irma said after she swallowed her first mouthful.

"Yeah, they're the best!" Robert replied. After ten minutes, their orders came and they ate heartily, enjoying every incredible morsel.

"Wow, I'm so full!" Irma said after they had finished. "Yeah, me too!" Robert replied. "Now I see why you went here all the time, the food's incredible!" Irma said. "Yeah, and well worth the price." Robert replied.

Robert paid the check and the two left and stepped outside. At this point, it was 6:45 PM.

Robert decided to take Irma to the Ultra-Zone laser tag arena just across the street. There was small group there, and Irma easily recognized Megan in the group.

"Megan!" she exclaimed as she rushed towards her brand-new friend.

"Irma! Robert!" Megan squealed in equal excitement as she rushed towards Irma and the two wrapped each other in a bear hug.

"I didn't expect to see you guys here! Have you been here before?" Megan asked. "I have, this is Irma's first time here." Robert replied.

Robert then approached the counter and bought a round of game spots for himself and Irma.

After five minutes, the game-masters called in the first-time players into the briefing room. At that moment, everyone but Robert went in.

Robert patiently waited as the others were being briefed on the basics of laser tag. Ten minutes later, the others stepped out and walked towards Robert.

"So, you guys ready?" Robert asked. "Yeah, we got this!" Irma replied enthusiastically.

"Alright, Let's get ready to rock!" Robert replied. Just then, the game-masters called in all players for the next game. Robert and the others went into the briefing room and sat down next to another group for the pregame briefing.

After the briefing, the group was sorted into their teams. Robert and Irma, along with Megan ended up on the blue team while the other group ended up on the red team. "OK, let's do this!" Megan said as she and the others put on their packs.

The packs had blue lights flashing on their shoulders, back, chest and the attached laser gun.

These were the weak points of the packs, and would shut the pack off for five seconds if hit. The other teams' packs were exactly the same, except for the color of the flashing lights, which were red.

On the game-masters' signal, the two teams entered the arena and the fight began!

The MW2 Navy SEALS spawn theme played in Robert's head as his team entered the dark arena, music blasting from overhead speakers.

Robert's team split up and scattered. Irma and Megan went with Robert as he went towards the red base. "OK, cover me while I hit the base!" Robert ordered as they took up their positions.

As Robert began shooting the base's core, Irma and Megan took up defensive positions, covering the entrances to the base. "Red base under attack!" a female voice blared from the speakers. "Damn, hurry up! They're gonna be comin' at us fast!" Megan warned as the voice blared the warning a second time.

Robert hit the final weak point, resulting in the core's lights shutting off as the sound of an explosion rang out from the speakers within the base. "Red base destroyed." the voice blared as Robert and the others cleared out and rushed towards the upper levels. As they went up, they ended up getting hit.

Robert and the other two in his group used the five seconds that their packs' lights were off to take defensive positions on the upper levels. Once their packs reactivated, they were back in the fight.

"Wow, taking out that base was rather easy!" Irma said. "Yeah, when there's no large group of enemies comin' at you!" Megan replied.

Just then, Megan's pack lights went out as she was hit again. "Dang it, not again!" she exclaimed as she rushed to find cover. Suddenly, the sentinel above them turned on and started shooting green lasers in a wide arc.

"TAKE COVER!" Robert ordered as he and the others rushed to avoid the sentinel's fire. Five seconds later, the sentinel stopped firing and Robert's group got back up. Robert came down and led the group down to the ground level back towards the red base.

This time, Irma prepared to attack as Robert and Megan took up defensive positions. "OK, were in position...do it!" Robert ordered.

Irma immediately began shooting the base's core as Robert and Megan picked off any enemies that got close.

Several seconds later, the familiar alert blared out as Irma completed her attack.

"OK, now let's get to our base so that the rest of our guys can get a shot at it!" Robert suggested as he rushed towards the blue base, Irma and Megan close behind him.

Just then, he heard a different warning that increased the group's drive to get to the base. "Blue base under attack!" the voice blared, causing Robert and his group to pick up the pace.

The lack of a second warning indicated that the enemy's attack failed. After successfully foiling the enemy's attack on their base, the other two team members saw Robert's group approaching and got ready.

"OK, now it's your turn, go get 'em!" Robert said as the other group group headed towards the red base. Robert's group took up defensive positions as they prepared to protect the base.

Robert listened as the familiar warnings blared out, indicating that the group's attack was underway. Over the next five minutes, the second group finished their attacks and rejoined Robert's group. "OK, lets defend this base at all costs!" Robert said.

"To the last shot, we will fight to insure that this base does not fall!" Irma said in a mock dramatic voice as she and the others took up fighting positions.

They fought on for the next two minutes, until an alarm began sounding on everyone's packs and the pattern of the lights' flashing changed.

At the same time, the packs' name displays began flashing the words "GAME OVER". Robert and the others knew, that this indicated that the game had ended.

The teams made their way back into the pack room, its location indicated by a flashing green light above the door.

The group took their packs off and made their way back to the lobby. "Whew, that was incredible!" Megan said.

"Yeah, that sure was one hell of a good time!" Irma added.

"Yeah, we whooped their butts like they were nothing, NOTHING!" Robert added excitedly. Robert and the others looked up at the nearby screen which then displayed the overall results.

On the screen, a somewhat short yellow bar and next to it, a extremely tall blue bar appeared. Next to the bars, the individual player stats and the top three players' names appeared.

"And the winner is...the Blue Team!" the game-master at the counter announced, causing Robert's group to cheer.

"Wow, I'm glad we did this, this was a lot of fun!" Megan said as they left after collecting their scorecards.

"Hmm, maybe I should take Chris and Lilian here sometime, they'll have a blast!" Irma said. "Well, now what?" Irma asked as the couple walked outside. Robert checked his watch, which read "7:29pm". "Well, I'm kinda beat, let's go back to the hotel." Robert replied.

"OK, I'm kinda tired, too." Irma replied as they made their way to the Old Town trolley station. They took a Blue Line train downtown and walked to the hotel.

Once they got into their hotel room, they cuddled up in each other's arms and quickly fell asleep.


	6. A Life Changing Cruise

_A/N: Just as a warning, this final chapter has a few adult references and some language, but the ending here is gonna be special!_

_The next morning, 7:00 AM_

Robert and Irma woke up when the alarm went off and quickly got dressed.

Today, they were going back to Heatherfield. "Hey Irma, you got everything?" Robert asked.

"Yep, you?" Irma asked back.

"Yeah, that's everything we brought with us." Robert replied after he checked the room one last time for any of their belongings.

After they finished packing their suitcases, they left the room for the last time and took the elevator down to the lobby.

They checked out at the counter and made their way to the trolley station. From there, they took a Blue Line trolley to the 12th and Imperial station.

Once they got off, they took the short walk to the Greyhound station across the street.

Robert and Irma checked in and received their boarding passes and name tags for their luggage.

After waiting for two hours, their bus arrived and when the opportunity arrived, they placed their suitcases into the baggage hold and got on board.

They sat next to each other in one of the middle rows, Robert in the window seat and Irma in the aisle seat.

"Well, this was a fun trip!" Irma said after the bus departed, as she laid her head on Robert's shoulder.

"Yeah, it was." Robert replied.

"I wonder where we'll go for our next trip." Irma said.

"Who knows? But, I know that it'll be fun!" Robert replied as he wrapped his arm around Irma's shoulder.

They relaxed and briefly fell asleep over the next four hours until the bus arrived in Heatherfield.

The two went home and relaxed for a while before uploading the pictures from the trip onto Robert's computer.

_Seven months later, May 1, 2015_

Robert, Irma and the gang were taking a cruise to the Caribbean on board the _Freedom of the Seas._ Robert had decided to take this cruise as an opportunity to propose to Irma.

_This is it! This is the day that I've been waiting for! Today, I'm gonna ask Irma to marry me! It's been over a year now since we got together as a couple and she has always made me a happy man. Now, I want us to be together forever, someone to say "I love you" to and that I know will say it back. I could have done it last month on our anniversary, but I want to make it extra special, so I booked us this cruise, knowing that Irma had always wanted to take a cruise, and what better time or place to pop the question? _Robert thought as he sat on the bed in him and Irma's stateroom.

He turned and looked at Irma, still in a deep sleep. _God, she looks so beautiful, I can't wait to propose to her! _Robert thought.

Robert then laid down on the bed next to Irma and cuddled up against her.

Irma was still asleep, but a few minutes later, she slowly opened her beautiful blue eyes and sees Robert snuggling with her.

"R...Robert?" she said. "Morning, beautiful, did you sleep well?" Robert asked. Irma stretched and yawned.

"Yeah, I did." she replied with that beautiful smile that Robert loved so much.

Robert stroked Irma's cheek and kissed her very tenderly and adventurously,pressing each other's lips so smoothly. Then they broke the kiss.

"I love you." Robert said. "I love you too." Irma replied. Robert stroked her hair.

"Thanks for taking us on this cruise, it means so much to me." Irma said.

"Well, I knew that you always wanted to go on a cruise, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped up and took it." Robert replied.

Just then, the happy couple heard a knock on the door. Robert opened it and saw Cornelia and Elyon standing there in their swimsuits.

"Hey guys! We're gonna go check out the pool! Come on, join us!" Cornelia said. Robert and Irma looked at each other and gave a "why not?" shrug.

"OK, just give us a bit to get ready." Irma replied as she closed the door. After they changed into their suits, Robert and Irma went up topside to join Cornelia and Elyon in the pool.

Meanwhile, Will and Taranee were enjoying the view of the open ocean. "I have to admit, this view is incredible!" Taranee said as she stared at the horizon.

"Yeah, it's simply awesome, I'm so glad Robert decided to bring us along!" Will replied.

"Yeah, hey I heard that Robert's gonna pop the question on this cruise!" Taranee said. "No way, really?" Will asked.

"Yeah, he even bought the ring the day before we got on this ship!" Taranee replied.

Two hours later, Robert and Cornelia had changed back into their normal clothes and were relaxing on the Sun Deck with Hay Lin while Irma was still in the pool with Elyon.

"So, do you have it with you?" Cornelia asked. Robert took out the small blue velvet box that contained the wedding ring he picked out.

"Right here in my hand." Robert replied. He opened the box, which contained a gold ring with a small diamond in between two tiny aquamarine stones.

"Wow, it looks so beautiful! Irma's gonna love it when you propose to her!" Cornelia said.

"Yeah, can't wait to see the look in her eyes when she sees this." Robert replied. "So, how are you gonna do it?" Hay Lin asked.

"Well, I'm thinking of doing it with a simple dinner date." Robert replied. "That works." Cornelia replied.

Just then, Robert spotted Irma and Elyon approaching from the pool area. "Crap!" Robert exclaimed as he quickly shut the box and hid it.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Elyon asked. "Not much, hey, wanna try the rock wall?" Robert asked. "I'm down!" Elyon replied.

"Me too!" Irma added. They got up and made their way towards the rock wall.

_They're gonna such a happy married couple!_ Cornelia thought with a happy sigh. They all put on their harnesses and began climbing.

Some of the hand-holds were tricky to get to, but then again, rock-climbing is typically never easy. Eventually, Robert got to the top first, with Irma close behind, and Elyon coming in right behind her.

Early that evening, Robert is setting up their table on the outdoor dining balcony for their date.

Just minutes after he finished, he spotted Irma approaching, wearing her light-blue short strapless dress.

"Hey." she said. "Hey." Robert replied. They both sat down and started eating.

"Wow, this is so romantic, the view is just beautiful! I always imagined that being on a cruise would be so...wonderful." Irma said as she and Robert watched the spectacular sunset.

"I know, that's why I brought you here. I wanted to do something special for you." Robert replied.

"Aw, Robert! You didn't have to do all this for me!" Irma replied. "Yeah, but I wanted to, and I did." Robert replied with a chuckle.

Robert then decided to make his move now, and took the ring from his pocket. "Irma, there's something I wanted to tell you, well, more like something I wanted to ask." Robert said.

Just then, Cornelia came up to them. "Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but there's something I gotta tell Robert. You don't mind, do you?" Cornelia asked.

"Uh, sure, I'm sure it must be important." Irma replied. Cornelia then took Robert to the aft end of the deck.

"What is it?" Robert asked. "Well, I just heard that there's a Modern Warfare 3 tournament tonight, and I thought that you might want to participate." Cornelia said.

"Hmm, that sounds like fun. What time does it start?" Robert asked.

"It starts tomorrow at noon. I already signed you up." Cornelia replied. "OK, but next time, could you tell me a little ahead of time?" Robert asked. He was excited to compete in the tournament, but felt a little blind-sided that Cornelia had not told him before signing him up.

"Sorry, but I was so happy for you and Irma that I didn't wanna interrupt." Cornelia replied.

"Well, looks like I'll have to wait to do this." Robert said as he put the ring away.

"Don't worry, I'll help you make sure that your proposal to Irma is extra special." Cornelia replied.

"I hope so." Robert replied.

"Now, get some rest, you'll have to be extra alert for the battles that you'll be fighting tomorrow." Cornelia said. Robert went back to the table to find that Irma was gone.

"Irma? Irma, where'd you go?" Robert called out. He then went back to their cabin, figuring that she would be there.

Sure enough, he opened the door and saw Irma on his bed wearing nothing but her blue cutoff T-shirt doing a sexy pose.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for...whoa!" Robert said but then stopped in mid-sentence after realizing how sexy Irma looked right now.

"Hi, my love." Irma said in a sultry tone.

"Oh...hey...Irma!" Robert replied as he started blushing.

"I've been looking all over for you." he added.

"Well, Cornelia told me about the tournament and that you were going to be competing, so I thought I'd do something to help you bring your A-game." Irma replied.

"Wow...that was...incredible!" Irma said in between breaths after they had made love for the past hour.

The two laid there on the bed in each other's arms, every once in a while pressing their lips together in short, sleepy kisses.

"Yeah, just the boost I needed for tomorrow." Robert replied, his breathing back to normal.

"You'll do fine, I know it." Irma said.

Robert turned off the lights and the two lovers drifted off to sleep, knowing that there was a big day tomorrow.

_The next morning, 11:30 AM_

Robert and the others were in the game room where the tournament was going to take place.

Robert and the other 7 participants were standing by ready to start. Irma and the others were in the audience, ready to cheer him on.

Eight Xbox 360 consoles, each connected to a separate TV, all of which were placed strategically in pairs so that none of the players could see any of the others' screens as a measure to prevent "screen-watching".

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE FIRST ANNUAL FREEDOM OF THE SEAS MODERN WARFARE THREE FREE-FOR-ALL TOURNAMENT!" The announcer blared out over the speaker system. The audience began cheering loudly.

"Today, these eight thumb jockeys will fight their way to victory and a status as the Freedom of the Seas MW3 Free-for-all Master! All players, please get to your consoles and get ready!" the referee said.

"GO GET 'EM, BABY!" Irma yelled as Robert and the other players got ready.

"This is gonna be a cakewalk!" Robert said after blowing Irma a kiss.

"I wouldn't be so sure!" a voice said from behind him.

"Who the...you!" Robert said as he turned to face the source of the voice.

"Uriah, it's been a while." Robert said with a hateful glare.

"Yeah, I see you're still hangin' with those lame girls." Uriah said.

"Hey, they know how to have a good time, unlike you!" Robert retorted.

"Whatever, just be ready to cry like a baby when I smoke you." Uriah said.

"Funny, I was gonna tell you the same thing!" Robert replied.

"Ha! Too bad your girl's gonna see you FAIL!" Uriah retorted.

"You just sealed your fate, fool!" Robert replied as he walked away to get ready. They got ready for the first round and selected their class.

Robert noticed that his first opponent was Matt. "Matt? I didn't expect to see you here!" Robert said.

"Yeah, well, my band's got a gig here tomorrow night, so I figured I'd try this on, though I didn't expect to end up going against you." Matt replied.

"Well, neither did I." Robert replied. "Well, no matter who wins, we'll still have fun right?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, B-T-dubs, Will's here." Robert said. "Really, where?" Matt asked.

"She's right there, next to Irma." Robert replied as he pointed her out.

"Players, get ready!" the referee said. "It's on!" Robert said as the first match began.

After ten epic minutes, the first round of matches was over. Robert, Uriah, and two other players won their duels and advanced to the semi-finals.

"GIVE IT UP FOR OUR SEMI-FINALISTS!" The referee said. The audience cheered loudly.

"So far, so good, but I gotta keep focused, it's not over yet!" Robert said.

A five minute intermission began to give the players time to prepare for the next round.

"Way to go, babe!" Irma said as she hugged Robert and gave him a kiss. "MATT!" Will yelled as she saw her boyfriend approach.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Matt said as he hugged Will.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on tour!" Will said as she wiped away a joyful tear.

"Well, this ship's one of my stops, so technically, I still am." Matt replied.

"So you lost the match, huh? Don't worry, you'll win next time." Will said.

"Yeah, as long as it's not against him, he's just too good." Matt replied as he pointed to Robert.

"YOU were Robert's opponent?" Irma asked.

"Yeah, he's quite the skilled warrior, you know that?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, after all, he did single-handedly take out the two masters of evil with a couple of fifty-caliber bullets." Will replied.

"All semi-finalists, please go to your consoles!" the referee said.

Robert, Uriah and their opponents proceeded to their consoles and got ready.

"Knock 'em dead, Robbie! I believe in you!" Irma said as she gave him a good-luck kiss on the cheek.

"I know babe, I'll make you all proud!" Robert replied as he got ready.

"Let's do this!" Robert said as the semi-finals began.

After a brutal ten minute brawl, Robert and Uriah had defeated their opponents.

"GIVE IT UP FOR OUR TWO FINALISTS!" the referee said. The audience cheered loudly.

"The final battle will take place in two hours. Until then, we will see you there. To those who were defeated, thank you for participating and we hope to see you again." the referee said.

"Perfect, gives me some time to relax for a bit." Robert said.

_30 minutes later..._

Robert and the others were at the nearby bar talking about Robert's triumphs.

"That was amazing, Robert! You gave those guys a swift defeat!" Elyon said.

"Thanks, Elyon, and thank you all for supporting me. Now I just have to beat Uriah in the final round and I'm done!" Robert replied.

"I hope you win, he seems like a tough opponent." Will said.

"Not as tough as me, and Robert did beat me, too!" Matt said.

"Yeah, besides, as long as I have the woman I love by my side, I'll be fine." Robert replied.

"Yeah, always and forever." Irma said as she kissed him.

"I'm getting a bit winded, I'm gonna head to the room and relax for a bit." Irma said with a yawn.

"OK, babe, see you once the tournament's over!" Robert replied.

"Awesome job out there, you really nailed them!" Cornelia said.

"Yeah, good thing I didn't need help, well except for that one time..." Robert said.

"The time I gave you lessons on how to make a woman feel REALLY good? Oh, I remember that!" Cornelia replied with a blush.

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone, especially Irma, I don't want her to get mad at me." Robert replied.

Uriah was hiding in the bar,eavesdropping on the two's conversation. He then located Irma near her cabin and taps on her shoulder.

"What the hell do you want?" Irma asked.

"Wanna hear something interesting?" Uriah asked with a sinister grin.

Ten minutes later, Robert went back to the cabin and opened the door to see Irma with an angry expression on her face.

"Hey, babe, I just thought I'd...why are you looking at me like that?" Robert asked in confusion.

"You tell me, Robert. You remember our anniversary?" she asked.

"Yeah, how could I ever forget?" Robert asked.

"I heard you and Cornelia had an affair. Is that true?" Irma asked.

"WHAT! How did you..." Robert began to ask, but was cut off.

"IS IT?" Irma asked loudly.

"Yeah, we did." Robert replied with a sigh.

"I can't believe this. After everything we've been through, you're just gonna lie to me like that! I love you, but yet you go ahead and have another woman go on you, and one of my friends, no less!" Irma said, the anger clear in her voice.

"But I still love you. Who told you this?" Robert asked, still in a state of disbelief.

"It doesn't matter. Just leave, I can't stand to look at you." Irma said.

"But..."

"JUST GO!" Irma cut Robert off as she started to cry.

Robert left and made his way to the top deck. He leaned on the edge and sighed as he remembered the day he met Irma.

He remembered all the good times he had with her and the battles they fought together.

He realized how much he loved her and how much he wanted to be with her forever.

He felt a surge of rage build up inside him as the question popped up in his head: _Who told her?_

"DAMMIT!" Robert yelled out as he slammed his fist on the railing.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Cornelia asked as she approached him.

"She found out, Cornelia, she found out about what happened between us." Robert replied.

"WHAT? HOW?" Cornelia asked in shock.

"I don't know, now she hates me. I was gonna propose to her, too! Today of all days, someone just had to make our relationship go completely to shit!" Robert burst out as he slammed his fist on the railing again, angry tears slowly flowing down his face.

Cornelia began tearing up at the thought of Robert and Irma's relationship being over because of what happened.

"Look, I'll go talk to her, I'll sort this out, but first, I need to know who told Irma our secret." Cornelia replied.

Cornelia then went back to the bar and told the others what happened.

"Wow, I...I had no idea." Will said.

"Me neither." Taranee said.

"Poor Robert and Irma!" Hay Lin exclaimed.

The thing is, I wanted to keep it a secret, but someone told Irma and I wanna know who." Cornelia said.

"What kind of dickhead would do such a thing?" Elyon asked.

"HA HA HA HA, Robert and Irmy got into a fight! Hilarious, I knew those two weren't gonna last long!" Uriah cackled from the end of the bar.

"Uriah, did YOU have something to do with this?" Hay Lin asked.

"Hey, the truth had to come out somewhere, right?" Uriah asked with a sarcastic shrug.

"I can't fucking believe you! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE FRIGGIN' DONE?" Cornelia yelled, barely containing the urge to sock him in the face.

"So, I don't give a rat's ass, I have a tournament to win and I'll do whatever it takes to win it. Peace out, losers!" Uriah retorted as he turned to leave.

"You take care of that scumbag, I'll go talk to Irma and try to do a little 'damage control'." Cornelia said.

"OK, I think it's time we give him a piece of our minds!" Will said.

Uriah then felt a tap on his shoulder.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Uriah said without looking to see who it was; big mistake.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and forcefully turn him around.

"Wha..." he tried to speak but was cut off when a hand grabbed his throat.

"YOU...PIECE...OF...SHIT! I OUGHTA FUCKING KILL YOU FOR GETTING BETWEEN ME AND IRMA!" Robert hissed.

He was nearby when Cornelia first confronted him and heard everything.

Uriah suddenly became scared shitless after realizing that Robert could easily end him then and there.

"Whoa, hey, I was just kidding! I never meant to do anything to you and Irma, heh heh, I just wanted to win." Uriah choked out, sweat running down his face as he grew very nervous and scared.

"I'LL FUCKING SHOW YOU WIN, FUCKTARD!" Robert raged back as he slammed Uriah into the nearby wall by his throat.

He then slammed his right fist full-force into Uriah's face, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Wait, have mercy, please!" Uriah begged, but Robert would hear none of it. He caused Irma to, more or less, dump him, and now he was getting what he deserved.

"Nice try, ain't gonna happen. This is what you deserve for ruining my relationship!" Robert taunted as he grabbed Uriah by the shirt and picked him up.

After two more brutal minutes of beatings, Robert had tied up a now-bruised Uriah and threw him into a nearby fan room.

"Until you learn to not interfere with the love life of others, you will stay in here for a while." Robert said.

"Mmmmmmmmhhhhhfffffffffff!" Uriah said, trying to plead with Robert one last time before Robert slammed the door shut.

"Fucking shitbag!" Robert muttered before rejoining the others, who had witnessed the carnage.

"And that's why you NEVER piss Robert off, ladies and gentlemen!" Will said.

Robert chuckled at the joke, satisfied that he had been able to serve justice for Uriah's misdeed.

"Well, the bastard had it coming!" Robert replied with a satisfied smile.

Meanwhile, Cornelia found Irma on the top deck, looking out at the horizon.

"There you are, I've been looking for you." Cornelia said.

"What do you want?" Irma asked with a hint of hate in her voice.

"To apologize and give you my side of the story." Cornelia replied.

"What side? There's no side to anything! What's done is done, and I thought he loved me." Irma retorted.

"He still does, you wanna know how much he loves you? During your anniversary, he wanted some help in making the best love to you possible, so he found someone who he knew was an expert, namely me, and I helped him, I gave him lessons." Cornelia explained.

"What did he need lessons for?" Irma asked, the hate in her voice now replaced by confusion.

"Duh, to make you feel good, more than you ever had in your life! He wanted to do that for you because he loves you and would do anything for you, even if it's getting sex lessons and tips from me." Cornelia replied.

"Oh, my God, I...I can't believe that I let that bastard Uriah get to me like that! I'm such an idiot!" Irma said, now realizing the true nature of the situation.

"No, you're not an idiot, Irma. You're just too silly. Go to him, Irma, he's waiting for you and he needs closure from you, right now. Besides, he's gotta hurry, the finals start in forty minutes." Cornelia said.

"Where is he?" Irma asked.

"Follow me." Cornelia asked after reading a text message from Elyon.

Robert was in the cabin sitting on the bed facing the balcony. He looked at the ring that he was going to propose with.

"So, this is where the world's best warriors go to be alone, huh?" Irma said from behind him.

"Irma?" Robert asked, surprised to see her not angry after what had happened.

"The one and only, sweetie." Irma said.

"Listen, I never meant to..."

"It's OK, Cornelia told me everything. I...I know you never meant to hurt me, I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me." Irma said as she began to tear up.

Irma then threw herself into Robert's arms and cried on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Robert said, fighting back tears of his own.

"I...I know, you don't have to say it. I...I forgive you." Irma replied as she continued crying.

"I...I love you so much, I don't ever wanna let you go!" Irma said.

"Me too, I don't ever want us to fight again!" Robert said as he kissed Irma's soft lips.

"You're my beautiful water angel." he added. They laid down on the bed, still in each other's arms.

"And you're my brave soldier who I know will protect me day and night." Irma replied.

They started kissing passionately, slipping their tongues into each other's mouths. The kissing was soft at first, but started getting rough.

Just then, the referee came in through the unlocked door and saw the two making love.

"Hey , uh, Robert, is it? You...OH GOD, I'm so sorry!" he said as he saw the couple making out.

"DO YOU MIND?" Robert asked.

_Awkwarrrrrrrrrd!_ The referee thought as he took in the situation.

"Uh..you're...up in twenty minutes." he said, his cheeks quickly turning a deep red.

"GET OUT!" Robert and Irma both said. The referee left without another word, too embarrassed by the situation.

"Now, where were we?" Robert asked. He began kissing Irma again, but Irma stopped him.

"I think you should make your way up there." she said in the gentle voice that Robert loved so much.

"But I wanna be with you." Robert replied as he laid his head on Irma's bra-clad chest.

"I know, baby, but they need you up there, I need you to win." Irma said.

"OK, for you. Wish me luck, babe." Robert said as he stroked Irma's cheek.

_Ten minutes before the final match is to start..._

Back at the game room, Will and the others were waiting for Robert.

"Where is he?" Hay Lin asked.

"I hope he gets here." Taranee said.

Just then, Robert and Irma came up, holding each other's hand.

"There you are, I see that both of you patched things up together." Cornelia said.

"Yeah, we did." Robert said. The referee than approached the group.

"Well, it looks like you're the only competitor left." he said.

"What do you mean?" Robert asked, pretending to not know what happened to Uriah.

"It seems that we can't find Uriah, as if he were giving up." the referee said.

Just then, Uriah, still bruised from the brutal beat-down he received from Robert earlier, stumbled up.

"I'm here, let's get this over with so I can hit the spa." he said. Irma had a stunned look on her face as she saw Robert grin and try to keep from chuckling.

"Welcome to the Freedom of the Seas Modern Warfare Three Free-for All Tournament Finals. You've seen eight skilled players enter the battlefield, but only two have made it to this final duel. Please give it up for Robert and Uriah!" the referee said into his mic.

The entire audience cheered loudly, mostly for Robert, some of them have heard about Uriah's attempt to break Robert and Irma up and one of them found him in the fan room to get him to the finals so that Robert could beat him and in doing so, land the coup-de-gras of justice on him once and for all.

"You ready?" the referee asked.

"You bet I am! Let's do this!" Robert exclaimed.

They got to their consoles and the final battle began. Uriah did put up a decent fight, but Robert proved to the more tactical one and this, plus his knowledge of the weapons and the map gave him the edge he needed to win.

Sure enough, when the match ended ten minutes later, Robert won by ten kills.

"And the winner and this year's Freedom of the Seas MW3 Free-for-All Master is...ROBERT!" the referee announced.

Robert beamed with pride as the audience cheered for him. He turned to see Uriah limping away, intending to get as far from Robert as possible. He chuckled as he saw this, then turned to grab the microphone from the referee.

"Hey!" the referee called out but stopped himself when he realized what he was going to use it for.

"Hey, everybody, I just wanted to do one more thing. Irma!" Robert began. Irma approached him from the crowd.

"Irma Lair, you've made me the happiest man in the world. I wanna spend my entire life with you,no matter what. Without you,I wouldn't have the strength to win even the toughest battles. You're my heart, my love, my favorite body of water in the whole world. I love you, Irma and I want us to be together forever." Robert continued before he knelt down.

Irma's eyes watered up and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Robert, *****sniff*** **what are you doing?" Irma asked.

"Opening my heart to you." Robert replied as he brought out the blue velvet box and opened it, revealing the wedding ring.

"Irma, you're the sweetest woman I've ever met and have been lucky to love...Will you marry me?" Robert finally asked.

Irma started crying as she saw the ring that Robert was giving her.

"Oh, Robert...*sniff* YES! YESYESYES! OH DEAR GOD YES! I WILL MARRY YOU!" Irma exclaimed, her excitement finally taking hold.

Irma then hugged Robert tightly with all her love.

"Awwwwwwwwwwww!" everyone in the audience said as they saw this, and along with their friends, they began applauding again, this time for Robert and Irma.

Robert gently slipped the ring onto Irma's finger and as she cried, she hugged and kissed his lips tenderly and softly.

"Robert, I love you!" Irma said.

"I love you too, Irma!" Robert happily replied.

They both kissed and realized that now their lives were going to change forever.

They may be engaged now, but they now have a long journey ahead of them in preparation for their marriage.

They now have to set everything up and plan everything from the location to scheduling, but with close friends to help them out, they didn't mind the journey at all.

After all, they had all the time in the world.

Cornelia had a look of realization on her face as something dawned on her.

"Now I have to go shopping for a wedding dress!"

THE END


End file.
